An electric guitar employs a transducer to convert the vibrations of a string into an electronic signal which is subsequently amplified and directed to a speaker. The transducer is known in the art as a pickup and is typically placed in the body of the guitar beneath the strings of the guitar. The placement of the pickup affects the spectral content of the output signal. Typically, the pickup is placed in the guitar body so that the longitudinal axis of the pickup forms an oblique angle with the guitar strings. The pickup may be placed at almost any angle depending upon the choice of the designer.
Pickups have been mounted to the body of a guitar in various manners. One technique is to mount the pickup to the body of the guitar directly by using mounting screws which pass through the body of the pickup and into the body of the guitar. Another prior technique is to place a piece of foam between the pickup body and the guitar body and to secure the pickup by screws which pass through the pickup body and into the guitar body.
Another method of mounting a pickup is to employ a mounting ring. The mounting ring is secured to the guitar body by means of screws which pass through the mounting ring and into the guitar body. The pickup is then secured to the mounting ring by screws which pass through the mounting ring and into the body of the pickup.
Many guitars are played by the performer' plucking the strings with his fingers. A bass guitar is commonly played in this manner and, in particular, the hand is held above the strings so that each string is plucked by a finger. In order for the performer to maintain the proper position of his fingers, a thumbrest has been provided on the body of the guitar. The thumbrest is typically a piece of plastic which is mounted directly on the guitar body at a location adjacent the strings to provide the proper placement of the fingers when the thumb is resting on the thumbrest. This kind of thumbrest is not satisfactory since it requires additional holes to be drilled in the body of the guitar and is another small item to be manufactured and installed.
In some prior art guitars, the pickup is quite thick and extends above the top of the guitar body to such an extent that the pickup has been used as a support for the thumb of the performer. This technique has the disadvantage that extraneous vibrations from the performer's thumb are introduced to the pickup, thus degrading the quality of the output signal. Also, the pressure of the thumb eventually detaches the pickup from the guitar body.